Lack of sexual health education leads to unsafe behaviour

A report recently published by the WA Health Department shows a significant spike in the number of Sexually Transmitted Infection cases reported by young people in the state, and has lead to calls for improved sex education.

The report highlights the notification rates of gonorrhoea in particular, with 54% of cases reported by 15-24 year olds.

A statement released by the department earlier this week illustrated that gonorrhoea reports doubled between 2011 and 2012 for the same age group.

Though high reporting rates are positive because more people are getting tested, the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in the 15-24 year old age group has lead to questions about attitudes towards safe sex.

Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia CEO Craig Comrie says the issue comes down to a lack of education.

"For a long time, sexual health has remained this taboo issue, people are petrified of talking to young people about it.

"But the reality is, particularly with the concerning stats that are coming out from the department, if we don't start to have an open discussion with young people about this issue, we're just going to see the problem worsen."

"We're just not talking to young people about sexual health and healthy relationships.

"We really don't put prominence on young people's sexual health as opposed to other health aspects on their life - we put a lot of focus on physical health and wellbeing, a lot of focus on their mental health, but unfortunately we ignore sexual health."

Family Planning Western Australia (FPWA) spokesperson Rebecca Smith says there a number of reasons why young people might engage in unsafe sexual behaviour.

"There's a peer pressure factor, drugs and alcohol are often involved which leads to their inability to make safe decisions.

"Lack of education, lack of knowledge about contraception, lack of knowledge about STIs and pregnancy - it can be a really varied combination."

School-based education

Schools in Western Australia can choose whether to teach sexual education as part of their curriculum, and can also decide the extent to which it is implemented.

"Some schools have a very comprehensive sexual health education program, and young people are getting lots of sexual health knowledge, whereas some schools have none, so people are coming away with very little," says Smith.

Though there is a national curriculum in place for sexual health education, there is no obligation for schools to implement it.

Organisations like FPWA offer sexual education training to schools and teachers across the state, but services are only taken up by those who request them.

The willingness of private religious schools to teach sexual education is another contributing factor to the extent of education across the state.

"We know that the majority of religious schools do absolutely no sexual health education and the ones that do, often it's a very clinical focus," says Comrie.

"Though that [clinical] information is important, it isn't enough to equip young people with the information required to allow them to make positive decisions about their sexual health and behaviour."

Other practitioners within the health and education sectors, including youth workers, counsellors and nurses, are generally not trained in youth sexual health and sexuality while at university or TAFE.

Comrie confirms that YACWA have partnered with one TAFE in WA to educate future youth workers in youth sexual issues.

Misconceptions

According to both Comrie and Smith, research shows that young people are highly likely to access information about sex through their peers.

Smith says that there are a number of common misconceptions that young people cite when accessing services through FPWA, including the belief that STIs cannot be contracted through oral sex, and that if a

woman is taking birth control pills she is also protected against any sexually transmitted infections.

Judgemental and negative attitudes among adults can easily lead to a lack of positive education and communication, says Comrie.

"There's this attitude that if you talk to young people about sex early, then they're going to want to run out and go and have sex.

"But the evidence suggests that the complete opposite is the case, that if you actually empower young people and educate them, they're more likely to delay their first sexual experience."

Sexual health campaigns through organisations and the health department often encourage young people to 'have the conversation' with partners - and Comrie says that the same message can be applied to education.